If you call Loveland, Colorado, home (like I do!), you know that Valentine’s Day is a big deal, and our city pulls out all the stops to show our pride in being the Sweetheart City. If you also happen to love a senior dog, there’s no better town to celebrate your special bond with a Valentine’s-themed bucket list. Here are some ideas for how to treat your senior furry friend (and yourself) and create cherished memories together.
Written by Dr. Mavi Graves, Veterinarian at Caring Pathways
Loveland locals Jack and Claire and their dogs, Brody and Biscuit, visit the popular heart sculpture at lake Loveland!
Take a Stroll Downtown and Check Out the Sweetheart Festival
Loveland’s downtown is full of colorful murals that serve as beautiful backdrops for photos. We always tell clients, “You can never have enough photos of your senior pets.” If your senior dog enjoys being out in public, check out one of the many dog-friendly businesses and breweries. If you’re downtown on February 14th or 15th, check out the Sweetheart Festival, where you can enjoy ice sculptures, live music, and art. Your senior dog can also get some love from other festivalgoers.
Indulge in a Special Treat at the Loveland Barkery
Does your senior dog have a sweet tooth? The Loveland Barkery, a local dog treat bakery, is the perfect place to spoil your senior dog with some heart-shaped cookies or a Valentine’s Day-themed “pup cake”. Their treats are made with love and contain only dog-safe ingredients, so you can feel good about treating your furry friend to something special.
Dr. Mavi makes a visit to the Loveland Biscuit Barkery to see what sweet treats are available this month!
Take a Hike (and photos!)
Burn off those cookies with a local hike! If your senior dog is still going on hikes, the Devil’s Backbone trail is a great one to try while the weather is cool. It also provides another opportunity for a Loveland photo op if you hike to a spot with a natural keyhole in the rock formation. Always remember to take water for your senior dog and feel free to turn around or skip this one if it’s too difficult.
Dr. Mavi, her husband, Dad, and his dog, Jinn, embark on a hike at Devil’s Backbone in Loveland, CO.
A Keepsake for All to Admire (or two!)
Loveland is home to two of the largest love lock sculptures in the world (with similar sculptures in Paris, Germany, and New York). Visitors are welcomed and encouraged to customize a metal lock (also available for purchase at the Loveland Visitors Center), attach the lock to the sculpture, and throw away the key, creating a permanent memento! The Love Lock Sculpture at Lake Loveland also offers a picturesque and classically Loveland backdrop, complete with stunning views of the surrounding mountains so don’t forget to take a photo with your senior furry sweetheart!
Another way to celebrate your senior pet in Loveland would be to purchase them a wooden heart through the Thompson Valley Rotary Club. A Loveland tradition for more than 40 years, residents admire the wooden hearts posted around town customized with messages of love. The hearts are already sold out this year, but plan ahead for 2026 and be ready to craft a message to your senior pet when they go on sale starting December 1, 2025.
A Bucket List to Remember
Knowing that time with your beloved senior pet is limited can be difficult for pet families. Bucket lists provide an opportunity and framework for you to take advantage of the time you have together, lean into your bond with your pet, and create those important memories (and photos!) together. The most important part of bucket lists is not what you do but to enjoy your time together.
Caring Pathways wishes you and your senior pets a happy Valentine’s Day. If you ever need assistance assessing your pet’s quality of life or you need in-home end-of-life care for your pet, please do not hesitate to reach out.
About the Author: Dr. Mavi Graves
Dr. Mavi moved back to Colorado to attend vet school at Colorado State University. While at CSU, she served as a manager of the student volunteer pet hospice program and that’s when she discovered end-of-life care as her veterinary calling. Dr. Mavi feels that the end-of-life journey is an incredibly sacred and meaningful time to serve pet families and she feels strongly about the importance of letting pets pass away at home. It is an honor to facilitate gentle and peaceful euthanasia experiences and to that end, Dr. Mavi has earned her Fear-Free Certification. She is also working towards acupuncture certification and strives for excellence and personal betterment in supporting pet owners through what may be one of the most difficult days of their lives.
Dr. Mavi lives in Loveland with her husband and three cats: Bobby, Hazel and Foghorn. When not working, Dr. Mavi enjoys arts and crafts, meditation, gardening, hiking/camping/biking, DIY home improvement and beating her husband at Scrabble.
